Is UConn dying?

[noeynox]

Louisville to the ACC over us continues to be the darkest thing to ever happen to this university. Brutal. It hurts me to watch ACC games now. We should be there.

I barely watch any ACC. Hurts too much. Everytime I read about them and prostitutes and cheating and screwing over the city of Louisville by fudging numbers I realize how bad our leadership was at the helm went that all went down. Got their lunch eaten really.

 

[intlzncster]

Pretty sure WCBB is basketball.

Fair point there.

 

[uconnphil2016]

All of this suggests that AD David Benedict needs to be on the hot seat. We were sold on him being a financial wizard who would shore up donations and get the budget right and his knowledge of building football culture. Neither of those have improved in his tenure.

 

[Adios]

All of this suggests that AD David Benedict needs to be on the hot seat. We were sold on him being a financial wizard who would shore up donations and get the budget right and his knowledge of building football culture. Neither of those have improved in his tenure

Dude, we just got a DC from Bama's staff.

 

[Towney007]

All of this suggests that AD David Benedict needs to be on the hot seat. We were sold on him being a financial wizard who would shore up donations and get the budget right and his knowledge of building football culture. Neither of those have improved in his tenure.

I guess that's kind of my thing. I mean we're all sitting here fighting over road maps and stuff.... and maybe this is kind of a waste of time - but I guess I ask it again:

Who on earth thought we'd run $80 million in revenue, who came up with these goals, projections, etc.? And how does that even get approved.

I know i'm asking a lot here - this is the BoT that just rammed that lousy hockey arena proposal through...

But how on Earth does that happen?


And I dunno - maybe it's just me - but I think humans are generally agreeable so long as they know and understand what's coming. If we have to run a $40 million budget, then hey - that's what we run. Might include cutting sports, might be used as a rallying call to say 'hey guys, this is where we need your help and why it's meaningful', etc. People actually take bad news fine so long as you don't surprise them. It's just bizarre how this school manages this kind of stuff.

 

[HooperScooper]

This thread is depressing. Might put it on ignore for my mental health.

 

[whaler11]

I guess that's kind of my thing. I mean we're all sitting here fighting over road maps and stuff.... and maybe this is kind of a waste of time - but I guess I ask it again:

Who on earth thought we'd run $80 million in revenue, who came up with these goals, projections, etc.? And how does that even get approved.

I know i'm asking a lot here - this is the BoT that just rammed that lousy hockey arena proposal through...

But how on Earth does that happen?


And I dunno - maybe it's just me - but I think humans are generally agreeable so long as they know and understand what's coming. If we have to run a $40 million budget, then hey - that's what we run. Might include cutting sports, might be used as a rallying call to say 'hey guys, this is where we need your help and why it's meaningful', etc. People actually take bad news fine so long as you don't surprise them. It's just bizarre how this school manages this kind of stuff.

Silver asked the right question. What was the plan - obviously they weren’t supposed to break even.

Nobody wanted to hear it but when they took upfront cash in the new IMG deal that was a flashing red light when you combined it with cancelling the spring game and how bad they are at things at the margin like publishing an accurate roster.

 

[uconnphil2016]

I guess that's kind of my thing. I mean we're all sitting here fighting over road maps and stuff.... and maybe this is kind of a waste of time - but I guess I ask it again:

Who on earth thought we'd run $80 million in revenue, who came up with these goals, projections, etc.? And how does that even get approved.

I know i'm asking a lot here - this is the BoT that just rammed that lousy hockey arena proposal through...

But how on Earth does that happen?


And I dunno - maybe it's just me - but I think humans are generally agreeable so long as they know and understand what's coming. If we have to run a $40 million budget, then hey - that's what we run. Might include cutting sports, might be used as a rallying call to say 'hey guys, this is where we need your help and why it's meaningful', etc. People actually take bad news fine so long as you don't surprise them. It's just bizarre how this school manages this kind of stuff.

It's honestly criminal--especially the hockey arena part. Robbing the state while pinching pennies in revenue sports and pushing through a severely underdeveloped hockey arena plan. We're spending tens of millions of dollars and none of it is being spent well. There need to be serious conversations about the viability of spending over $50 mil on a hockey arena in the midst of this. Heck, even conversations on fielding a hockey team. We're in a budget crisis where we're wringing our hands over spending $100k extra to keep coordinators while simultaneously pushing through insane building plans. Something isn't right.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

They need to keep women’s crew for title ix purposes

Well, if an equal # of scholies in some men’s sports is hypothetically eliminated ...

 

[UconnAlum04]

View attachment 38423
Haha, yep. Still out of your league though, I'd guess.

I was just quickly scrolling like a madman trying to get thru all 10 pages.
This stopped me dead in my tracks...well done!

 

[FartMan69]

One of the alumni just donated one million to football, with more coming. The wealthier UConn benefactors will not let the football program die, nor will the students and parents who gladly pay the AD fees. 40,000 freshman applications are denied every spring. They are beating down the door to get into Uconn. Kids want to go here, and as long as that continues the AD and football will be ok. Edsall has 3 or 4 years to succeed, after that it does get dicey if they don't at least get to some post season bowls. By then Hurely will have improved men's basketball and hopefully ticket sales. The one bright spot right now that worries me is Women's Basketball, Geno is just a few years from retirement, and once he does that bright spot goes away.

More coming? Like 8 million a year? Enough where our HC doesn’t have to write checks for assistants. But yeah we need football as our front porch despite it being the worst front porch in the country.

 

[Waquoit]

The truth hurts. FB broke the athletic department. And they were so stupid they brought the main culprit back to finish the job.

 

[FartMan69]

The truth hurts. FB broke the athletic department. And they were so stupid they brought the main culprit back to finish the job.

The ACC broke the athletic department. Obviously it was mismanaged on our part which has been discussed plenty here that also contributed but the football program was dead in 2013. The results of our slow death are literally shown on the field every week and in the budget every year but the diehards god bless em just want to Weekend at Bernie’s this program despite the warning signs.

 

[intlzncster]

Just got back from Italy last week. I discussed college costs and differences in the university systems with my cousins. I have to admit, I think we should look at the costs of college sports across the board in this country. If, as a whole, college sports is a money loser, all schools should drop them and focus on academics. There are other ways to keep sports alive without college sports. Having said that, while college sports is still big and high visibility, you need to compete to stay relevant.

Stepping back, education isn't even the primary goal of universities anymore. The entire purpose of most colleges is to make money.

Sports makes a lot of people a lot of money. If it costs the university as a whole, they don't care, as they're lining their pockets.

 

[noeynox]

Well, if an equal # of scholies in some men’s sports is hypothetically eliminated ...

It's funny. Usually some people who advocate to drop football will tell us we can't drop other sports.

 

[OkaForPrez]

Feels good to have @frankthetank posting on the board again. Probably warrants moving to its own thread for visibility, I doubt many people get to see it as it’s drowned out in 1,000 non value added opinions.

 

[intlzncster]

View attachment 38423
Haha, yep. Still out of your league though, I'd guess.

Well she married a billionaire....so you better have some deep pockets.

 

[intlzncster]

It's honestly criminal--especially the hockey arena part. Robbing the state while pinching pennies in revenue sports and pushing through a severely underdeveloped hockey arena plan. We're spending tens of millions of dollars and none of it is being spent well. There need to be serious conversations about the viability of spending over $50 mil on a hockey arena in the midst of this. Heck, even conversations on fielding a hockey team. We're in a budget crisis where we're wringing our hands over spending $100k extra to keep coordinators while simultaneously pushing through insane building plans. Something isn't right.

Making some contractors rich though. Absolutely no kickbacks happening here of course.

 

[Towney007]

I mean at this point though -

-If football was in the *black* at $8.7 million
-If Basketball was n the *black* at $5.1 million
-If W Basketball was in the *black* at $3.1 million

That's only $16.9 million. More digestible, but it's not even half the budget. And you can even DOUBLE the TV revenue. Heck, TRIPLE it, and we're not at $25 million, even.

What the heck is going on in that Department?


And I see a lot of 'well they just need to get better sponsorship agreements and could get some better deals'....

But I mean.. can they? I've sold sports sponsorships and it's not like you just wave a wand and that happens. Sponsors value eyes, ears, affinity and well... they value... value. This is a department people aren't watching, that's been dealing with a fired coach fight, an NCAA investigation, can't pay it's own defensive coodinators and clearly can't manage its bottom line. Like... at all. What brand wants to be next to that.

Ticket sales are down, ratings are down, exposure is down.... And they're just gonna go out there, throw their yams on the table and charge top dollar for that and expect to get it? TV rights might help a little bit, but sponsorships? No way.

And where's the other revenue opportunities? Group sales? Have you been to Gampel? Or the Civic Center?

They keep saying they need to increase revenue, but I don't see where that's possible until everyone is good again - and honest to god - that's not going to make as much of a difference as people think.

I just don't see where the 'enhance revenue' option is here... right now.

I really feel like they've gotta start cutting.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm just glad my brother and I decided to go to UCONN's last final four. It was our 4th time going to it together(we only missed 1999 when I just had moved to the ATL). Logistically it can be a pain since he lives in Oakland and I'm in Atlanta. We still made it work after he had just got married and spent a lot of money for his wedding. I'm so glad I was able to convince him to do it as we both thought this could be our last chance due to conference realignment and how UCONN fit into it.

Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now!

 

[whaler11]

I mean at this point though -

-If football was in the *black* at $8.7 million
-If Basketball was n the *black* at $5.1 million
-If W Basketball was in the *black* at $3.1 million

That's only $16.9 million. More digestible, but it's not even half the budget. And you can even DOUBLE the TV revenue. Heck, TRIPLE it, and we're not at $25 million, even.

What the heck is going on in that Department?


And I see a lot of 'well they just need to get better sponsorship agreements and could get some better deals'....

But I mean.. can they? I've sold sports sponsorships and it's not like you just wave a wand and that happens. Sponsors value eyes, ears, affinity and well... they value... value. This is a department people aren't watching, that's been dealing with a fired coach fight, an NCAA investigation, can't pay it's own defensive coodinators and clearly can't manage its bottom line. Like... at all. What brand wants to be next to that.

Ticket sales are down, ratings are down, exposure is down.... And they're just gonna go out there, throw their yams on the table and charge top dollar for that and expect to get it? TV rights might help a little bit, but sponsorships? No way.

And where's the other revenue opportunities? Group sales? Have you been to Gampel? Or the Civic Center?

They keep saying they need to increase revenue, but I don't see where that's possible until everyone is good again - and honest to god - that's not going to make as much of a difference as people think.

I just don't see where the 'enhance revenue' option is here... right now.

I really feel like they've gotta start cutting.

Most of the lost football fans are never coming back - short of some level of success that isn’t going to happen.

 

[intlzncster]

I mean at this point though -

-If football was in the *black* at $8.7 million
-If Basketball was n the *black* at $5.1 million
-If W Basketball was in the *black* at $3.1 million

That's only $16.9 million. More digestible, but it's not even half the budget. And you can even DOUBLE the TV revenue. Heck, TRIPLE it, and we're not at $25 million, even.

What the heck is going on in that Department?


And I see a lot of 'well they just need to get better sponsorship agreements and could get some better deals'....

But I mean.. can they? I've sold sports sponsorships and it's not like you just wave a wand and that happens. Sponsors value eyes, ears, affinity and well... they value... value. This is a department people aren't watching, that's been dealing with a fired coach fight, an NCAA investigation, can't pay it's own defensive coodinators and clearly can't manage its bottom line. Like... at all. What brand wants to be next to that.

Ticket sales are down, ratings are down, exposure is down.... And they're just gonna go out there, throw their yams on the table and charge top dollar for that and expect to get it? TV rights might help a little bit, but sponsorships? No way.

And where's the other revenue opportunities? Group sales? Have you been to Gampel? Or the Civic Center?

They keep saying they need to increase revenue, but I don't see where that's possible until everyone is good again - and honest to god - that's not going to make as much of a difference as people think.

I just don't see where the 'enhance revenue' option is here... right now.

I really feel like they've gotta start cutting.

And people still question why they didn't just pay KO his money to be gone? Cause they're broke.

 

[3rdbass]

Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now!

It might be over from us ever winning a national championship again. Especially if the P5 breakaway from us. Germans? I hope you are being sarcastic as it was the Japanese.

 

[uconnphil2016]

Most of the lost football fans are never coming back - short of some level of success that isn’t going to happen.

Randy will go 15-0 next year. Mark my words. We’ve got Joe Pesci at DC.

 

[Slasher]

Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! And it ain't over now!

The Germans didn't bomb Pearl Harbor....